IN HUMAN Synonyms: 209 Similar and Opposite Words

inhuman

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈhyü-mən

Definition of inhuman

as in oppressive

difficult to endure kept the prisoners in criminally inhuman conditions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ruthless

having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings an inhuman indifference to the sufferings of other human beings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in brutal

having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others a classic sociological study showing just how inhuman an individual can become when given absolute power over another

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of inhuman Powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 Despite trying to break glass, rip through the foundation, and forcibly remove the door, something of the supernatural or at least thoroughly inhuman sort is keeping them inside. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026 The State Department had designated and sanctioned Ghezel Hesar Prison in 2024 for gross human rights violations and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026 Microsoft noted last month that its bumper crop of patches—which almost reached the current record—was the result of AI’s ability to automatically ferret out security vulnerabilities at inhuman speeds. — Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for inhuman

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhuman

Adjective

Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro resigned Wednesday following an investigation into a complaint alleging the workplace culture under her leadership was oppressive, bullying and intimidating.

— Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026
In its opening episodes, the series carefully distinguishes Lizzie from her male killer counterparts while highlighting the oppressive conditions women faced in the era.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of oppressive

Adjective

When his inquiry leads directly to a ruthless corporate chairman played by Tony Leung Ka-fai, the two seasoned operators become locked in a battle of wits.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
Joe has always been ruthless, but never quite as tunnel-visioned in her motivations.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Adjective

Thirty-two years after Brown Simpson's brutal killing, her sister continues to alert people to the dangers of intimate partner violence.

— Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
The Trojans face Washington at the Coliseum before a brutal stretch that includes Penn State, Indiana and Ohio State, with their playoff hopes at stake.

— Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of brutal

Adjective

Cora, the granddaughter of a woman kidnapped from West Africa and sold into slavery, flees her captor’s plantation, plunging her into the book’s alternate steampunk reality where she is pursued by the merciless slave catcher Ridgeway.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
But the movie very much belongs to Trinca and Bruni Tedeschi, just as Anna belongs to the merciless stranger.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of merciless

Adjective

In the book, MacLachlan recalls being utterly dumbfounded at having been asked to do something so oblivious at best and cruel at worst.

— Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Many of them, including Ned and his childhood friend and rival, Roland, are scarred by their time as youth players, haunted by memories of the sadistic coaches and cruel, competitive fathers who terrorized them both on and off the court.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

With phones, keys, multi-tools, flashlights, water bottles and charging cables, the modern trouser and jacket pocket has a tough job coping.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
Trump’s proclamation would have delayed compliance with the tougher standards from 2027 until 2029, though EPA ultimately repealed them in February.

— Luke Fountain, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.

— Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.

— Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026

Definition of stony

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“Inhuman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhuman. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of inhuman

adjective

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